No bail for alleged supremacist accused in violent Dudley home invasion

Wednesday

Jan 16, 2013 at 1:00 PMJan 16, 2013 at 7:32 PM

By Gary V. Murray TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

A 33-year-old Southbridge man with alleged ties to a white supremacist group was ordered held without bail today on charges stemming from a Dec. 13 home invasion in Dudley.

Darrell Friedland of 917 Main St., Southbridge, was secretly indicted Tuesday on home invasion and armed burglary charges involving allegations that a Sturbridge farmer, seeking to collect on a drug debt, hired men with ties to a white supremacist prison gang to injure a Dudley couple.

Mr. Friedland entered not-guilty pleas to the charges at his arraignment this morning in Worcester Superior Court and was ordered held without bail. Assistant District Attorney Joseph A. Quinlan reserved his right to request a dangerousness hearing for Mr. Friedland. Mr. Friedland's lawyer, Sarah Hamilton, told the court her client was waiving his right to have such a hearing held within seven days.

A judge could determine after such a hearing that Mr. Friedland poses a danger to the public or to a particular individual and order that he be held without bail for up to 90 days while awaiting trial.

Authorities said the male victim suffered a head injury in the Dec. 13 home invasion at 42 Oxford St., Dudley, and the woman suffered a leg injury.

The farmer, 61-year-old Jeffrey Hoenig of Sturbridge, and two other suspects, Dennis Burke, 26, and Aaron Hadley, 41, both of Southbridge, were ordered held without bail after a Jan. 9 dangerousness hearing in Dudley District Court. Another suspect, 41-year-old Ryan Cross, was arraigned last week in Dudley District Court and ordered held without bail.

Mr. Cross, Mr. Hadley and Mr. Burke are each charged with home invasion, armed assault in a dwelling, mayhem, and conspiracy. Mr. Hoenig is charged with felony for hire and two counts of conspiracy.

Authorities said Mr. Friedland, who was arrested Dec. 28 after allegedly firing a gun outside a bar, later admitted his involvement in the Dudley home invasion and implicated the others. State Police Sgt. Michael Sampson testified at the Jan. 9 dangerousness hearing that Mr. Friedland admitted he was a captain in the Aryan Brotherhood and said he identified Mr. Cross and Mr. Hadley as members of the group and Mr. Burke as a prospect.

Mr. Hoenig allegedly hired the men to break the victims' legs using bats, according to Sgt. Sampson's testimony. Mr. Hoenig, Mr. Hadley, Mr. Burke and Mr. Cross were arrested in a two-state New Year's Day raid by the South County Crime and Drug Task Force.

Sgt. Sampson said items recovered by police from Mr. Hoenig's home at 30 Ladd Road, Sturbridge, included rifles, shotguns, a revolver and a photograph depicting a Ku Klux Klan member holding a black person on a leash.

Mr. Hoenig's lawyer, Richard A. Eustis, said his client's record had been clean for 30 years, except for motor vehicle violations. The guns found in the home were either given to Mr. Hoenig by his father or bought when he was a young boy and were used to keep coyotes away from Mr. Hoenig's chickens, Mr. Eustis said.

Judge Janet Kenton-Walker, who ordered that Mr. Friedland be held without bail without prejudice, continued his case to Feb. 14.